GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Longtime Dodgers scout John Keenan, who was instrumental in the signing of Don Sutton, Bill Russell, Davey Lopes, Rick Sutcliffe, Mickey Hatcher and Mitch Webster, among many other Dodgers, passed away on Thursday morning at age 74.
Keenan, a native of Kansas, was a Dodgers scout from 1962-1998 and was elected into the Greater Midwest Pro Scouts Association Hall of Fame in 2008.
He was hired by Al Campanis in 1962 as a part-time scout, became a full-time scout the next year, then by 1986 was the Dodgers midwest scouting supervisor and national crosschecker.
"He has been a great mentor for me as a scout and as a player," said 1977 Dodgers draftee Webster in 2008. "All those hard times as a minor leaguer, you're looking to stay alive, and John was always there to add encouragement. He was a tremendous asset to the Dodger organization."
Kennan's grandfather Bert Wells was a Dodgers scout from 1940-1979, and Kennan's son Mike is currently a scouting supervisor with the Reds, with whom he has worked for 25 years.